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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The first Gulf War in 1990 was presented to the American people as a struggle to liberate the captive nation of Kuwait. We were told in chilling detail how the tiny nation was being plundered and brutalised by Iraqi troops. Kuwait was indeed freed. Palestinians living there who cheered the Iraqi invasion were expelled without any right of appeal. The Bedoons (not to be confused with Bedouins resumed their lives as stateless people, living at the sufferance of the Kuwaiti government. Human Rights Watch summarises their situation as follows.

After decades of treating Bedoons as citizens and repeatedly promising to confer formal citizenship on them, the Kuwaiti government reversed its practice and declared them illegal residents of the only country they have ever known. Although the policy was adopted before the Iraqi invasion, it has intensified since the Kuwaiti government was restored to power following the victory of the Desert Storm military campaign. Kuwaiti authorities have justified their policy on the theory that Bedoons are illegal aliens and therefore are not entitled to live in Kuwait or enjoy the basic rights to which citizens and lawful residents are entitled.

The Human Rights Watch investigation summarized in this report lasted several years and included interviews with over 500 Bedoons in Kuwait and the diaspora. It also included interviews with Kuwaiti government officials, members of parliament, judges, lawyers and others with knowledge on this subject. We also examined Kuwaiti laws, court cases and relevant official documents. We found the following:

Bedoons today number about 300,000, one third of Kuwait's native population, an estimate based on Kuwaiti official documents. Nearly half of them still reside in Kuwait while the rest are languishing in exile, mainly in Iraq, because Kuwait blocked their return after the war.

Most Bedoons were born in Kuwait, have lived there all their lives-many Bedoon families have lived in Kuwait for generations-or have close family ties in the country. For decades, they were treated as lawful residents and effectively citizens in every aspect of their lives. They were repeatedly promised formal Kuwaiti citizenship. About 30,000 of them are spouses of Kuwaiti women or children of Kuwaiti mothers. Many others have siblings or other close relatives who are Kuwaiti citizen.

Americans were deeply moved by the reports coming out of Kuwait. Very few knew that Kuwait was really an apartheid state, in which an underclass in the country was denied any political rights. Most Americans imagined that Kuwait and Iraq would be like Germany and France where American troops were welcomed as liberators. Who could have imagined that American troops stationed in Saudi Arabia would be asked to conceal Christian religious symbols and that their presence would be regarded as a "defilement" of Saudi soil? Kuwaitis even joined in a boycott of American goods and franchises such as Starbucks and McDonalds.

What is said to us in English by our Arab allies often differs from what is said in Arabic and left untranslated. While it is true that a single word might defy accurate translation, a clear picture can be derived from a more lengthy speech. Professor Abdallah Al Nafisi spoke at length about America and Americans. Much of his speech was wishing out loud for an attack on America that would dwarf 9/11. It is interesting to note the audience reaction as he spoke, going into detail about how such an attack could be facilitated and carried out. His sarcasm and the degree to which he reveled in America's pain are clear to all.

America puts great effort into studying and understanding its enemies. After listening to Al Nafisi I am left with a nagging question. Do we know our friends?

1 comment:

Words can't describe the evil in these extremist cowards. It is clear that these people serve no purpose in the world except to bring pain and suffering. Abdallah Nafisi and everyone who believes in what he is saying have the same ideology as any terrorist in the world and should be treated as terrorists. These people deserve to be locked up in Gitmo. For people who feel like they are victims of racism by white people, they are nothing but radical racists who can speak. I have many Arab friends who are great people and wish people like Abdallah Nafisi would stop perpetuating the stereotype of Arabic terrorists in America and around the world.

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